


Didn't Want To Wait

by pushupindrag



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Captain Yamaguchi Tadashi, Confessions, First years as third years, Fluff, Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Pining, Slice of Life, canon adjacent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:15:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27925141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pushupindrag/pseuds/pushupindrag
Summary: Yamaguchi thought he'd be waiting for Tsukishima forever. And he's happy with that, really.He thought he’d be waiting for Tsukishima Kei forever. Waiting for an answer to a question he would never ask.Because how could he? He’d been in love with his best friend since the first snarky comment sent his way that had saved him from those bullies. But there had never been any indication that Tsukki felt the same way towards him, or even other boys for that matter.
Relationships: Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 12
Kudos: 152





	Didn't Want To Wait

**Author's Note:**

> I'm very much a sucker for confession fics so have another!
> 
> Come talk to me about any of the haikyuu dorks [here!](https://rolllingthunderr.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Un-beta'd so please let me know if you find any mistakes!

He thought he’d be waiting for Tsukishima Kei forever. Waiting for an answer to a question he would never ask. 

Because how could he? He’d been in love with his best friend since the first snarky comment sent his way that had saved him from those bullies. But there had never been any indication that Tsukki felt the same way towards him, or even other boys for that matter.

But he would be happy to wait forever. It would be enough to just stay in his shadow. Waiting for glimpses of smiles sent his way. Waiting, almost shamefully, for an errant strand of hair pushed from his face by Tsukishima’s thin fingers when he was too tired after a game to do it himself. Waiting for the quick, fleeting touches. The smirks and the amused eye-rolls. The deep laugh he knows only he is able to produce. Or at least that’s what he told himself anyway.

So he’d been prepared to wait. Had resigned himself to a future of waiting for the touches and looks he knows will eventually peter out the further Tsukki gets from him as their lives grow up and away from one anothers. It’s inevitable, he knows. But he pushes away the ache in his heart and the rolling of his stomach whenever he thinks about it.

It’s pure luck that Tsukki had kept him around for this long anyway.

Waiting for an answer to a question he’d never ask. Waiting for the inevitable end. He’d be happy with whatever he could get until then.

-

He’s waiting once again outside of Tsukki’s house. Leaning idly on the gate while he waits for his friend to hurry up and finish his breakfast so they can get to school.

They were graduating next week. And then there’d be no more waiting like this is the mornings. So he savours it, eyes on the sunrise as he lets the breeze blow his hair askew without fixing it.

“Your face is gonna stick if you keep that up.” He tilts his head at Tsukki’s comment, grinning at his crumpled uniform and bed head as he opens the front door before quickly shutting it. The bed head is something he tries to smooth over as he walks down the path., not bothering with his uniform just yet. Yamaguchi doesn’t move from the gate, letting Tsukki push it like a weird swing until he has to jump off when it swings shut and he scrambles to follow his taller friend.

“You ready for the inevitable competition this morning?” He chirps, and then laughs when Tsukki groans. Tilting his head back to pinch at the bridge of his nose and rub at his eyes.

“If they try and drag me into it again i’m leaving practise.” Since graduation had started getting closer, Kageyama and Hinata in a fit of what was probably anxious nostalgia had started up their old routines of competing with everything. Running everywhere, trying to do everything first, or be the best at everything and anything at full force.

Personally, he thought they needed to just tell each other about their massive crushes on each other instead of indulging their weird pseudo rivalry. But he was definitely being a hypocrite there, so he wouldn’t say anything.

“Nah.” He grins, knocking their shoulders together. “I couldn't let you do that. As captain and all. Can’t show favouritism.” He says it as if everybody doesn’t already know that Tsukki is his favourite. As if it isn’t the most obvious thing in the world.

“But if you didn’t care about that?”

“Oh then for sure i’de let you go.” The smile he gets for the admission warms his very soul.

-

They’re not the first at morning practise. But they hadn’t been for years at that point. They were the third and fourth though. Yamaguchi had given the gym keys to Kageyama after he’d found the odd-ball duo waiting in the cold on the first day of practise. He had a copy of it too, but it just meant that the pair could start practising earlier. And that meant they’d be a bit mellower by the time practise actually started and would be less likely to scare the second and first years with their enthusiasm and competitiveness. 

“Morning guys!” He grins as he changes his shoes by the door. Arm going out to catch on Tsukki’s shoulder for balance as the blonde holds still, waiting for him to change his shoes before changing his own.

“MORNING YAMA! SALTYSHIMA!” Hinata shouts from where he was going over receives with Kageyama off to the side.

“Alright, we’ve got about ten minutes before the other years start turning up. Got any concerns? Any questions?” He asks once they gather by the doors. Whiteboard already set up. A job Kageyama and Hinata did as endless thanks for being able to get in the gym early.

Yamaguchi had set up these meetings as soon as Ennoshita had proudly asked him to be the captain. His confidence about doing it alone hadn’t been enough, despite everyone’s protests about knowing he’d do great. And while he still didn’t fully believe that, he knew he was doing his best and his best had done damn well. 

Sure, they’d lost to Itatchiyama, but they’d played on the centre court. The first time the team had done that with them in it. He’d done well, to lead them there. He couldn’t have done it without the third year meetings though. And despite not needing it now, with only a week until graduation and no more matches, he still called for one anyway.

It was tradition now anyway. And he wasn’t one to break tradition.

“You’re sure about the new captain right?” Kageyama asks, deadpan as usual. And Yamaguchi nods. He’d taken a while deciding, because it was a big job. And he’d been worried about the team's reactions. But Tsukki had helped him, he’d been the one on the other end of the phone as Yamaguchi had rambled endlessly at him into many a night worrying about it.

“Yep.” He pops the ‘p’ with a grin over at Tsukki who just rolls his eyes, because the habit got on his nerves but he always gave Yamaguchi a free pass with it and Yamaguchi knew that. Dumping his bag properly by the door as he carefully puts his headphones and phone away. “I think Sora will do a great job. I mean, he’s no Daichi or Enno.” He grins, remembering their old captains. “But he’s got a strong head on his shoulders. And I think that’ll be enough to reign in the first years when they become second years.”

The first years were a rowdy bunch, and he was very thankful he’d been able to experience the whirlwind that was a mixture of Nishinoya, Tanaka and Hinata on the same team because it definitely helped him with wrangling his underclassman.

And so did Tsukki standing by his side with his arm crossed and a glare, but the details didn’t matter that much.

“He’s no you either.” Tsukki grumbles, just loud enough so that Yamaguchi can hear but not the other two and Yamaguchi can feel his blush instantly. The warmth he feels from the complement spreads down to his very toes, but that doesn't mean he’s not going to act normally. He was used to being rendered a pile of goo from a kind word from his best friend and powering through it.

“Aw Tsukki!” He beams over at him. “I didn’t know you cared!”

“Shut up Yamaguchi.” Tsukki rolls his eyes again and Yamaguchi smirks up at him.

“Sorry Tsukki.” He doesn’t mean it one bit. And the tiny smirk he gets back means Tsukki knows that too.

They’re interrupted by a few of the second years stumbling in. And Yamaguchi spots Sora instantly. Good, he was here early. Better to do this now than wait any longer.

“Oi! Sora!” He calls the boy out gesturing at him to come closer and then off to the side, and Yamaguchi’s grateful that Tsukki follows too.

“Yeah?” Sora asks, bouncing a little on his toes. Already dressed for the practise that they didn’t exactly need to do now but were anyway. Old habits died hard.

“Me and Tsukki were thinking.”

“Yamaguchi was thinking.” Tsukki corrects and Sora laughs at Yamaguchi's exaggerated eye roll.

“I was thinking, and I know it’s sudden and a bit late. But!” He watches as Sora’s eyes go wide, catching up with what was going on and he beams at him. “I was thinking that you would be the best choice for team captain next year!”

“YES!” Sora shouts, with enough enthusiasm and volume to rival Nishinoya on his most energetic of days and Yamaguchi laughs. “Yes! Yes please let me be captain!”

“Well good thing it’s decided then. Sora, I am officially passing on the title of Karasuno’s Captain to you. You’ll get the key for the club room and gym the day we graduate okay?”

“Thank you captain! Vice captain!” He bows twice to the pair of them before running off to the other second years to start whooping and Tsukki huffs.

“I’m not vice captain.”

“You sorta are Tsukki.”

“Whatever.” Yamaguchi grins up at him when Tsukki pats his shoulder, letting his grip linger there for a second before stalking away. “Let’s just get to practising.”

-

Tsukki waits for him to collect his things before lunch. The classes were a lot less intense now given exams were over. But that didn’t mean his desk wasn’t a mess of paper and pens by the end of their lessons. Shooting the blonde an apologetic grin as he gets his own bento box, all he does is shrug back in response. Leaning against his own desk until Yamaguchi's done.

“Ready Tsukki?” He grins once he’s finished, and laughs when all Tsukki does is roll his eyes back and tut.

“I was the one waiting on you idiot.” But there’s no heat to it, like there never is. And he leads them up the few floors to the roof.

They’re not alone given the weather was nice. But they manage to find a corner a little ways away from the usual clamour.

“How long do you think it’ll be before we’re found?” Tsukki sighs as he opens his lunch, getting his phone out to put some music on and turn the volume up so they can hear it distantly despite his headphones being around his neck. It’s his usual routine and Yamaguchi finds comfort in it as he sits next to him, opening his own lunch.

“From the firsties, secondies or thirdies?”

“Any?”

“First years are so enamoured with Hinata they’re going to follow him and Kags to the gym to practise so we won’t see any of them. Second years, I say thirty minutes if Sora wants to chat. Yachi, I give about ten depending on if she’s at her lunch club or not.”

“It still baffles me how you have everyone's schedules memorised.” Tsukki mutters and Yamaguchi can only grin helplessly.

“Guess it just came with being captain.”

“Daichi never knew our schedules.”

“Ennoshita did.” Yamaguchi points out before he shoves some of the food into his mouth.

“He knew Nishinoya and Tanaka’s schedules. That’s different.” Tsukki snorts.

“Well he needed to with them.” Yamaguchi grins. He really did love the pair, despite their chaos.

“I’de say that our team didn’t need it but...” Tsukki sighs and trails off as Yamaguchi giggles at the obvious despair.

“Well, soon Sora will have to deal with them.” He knocks their shoulders together and warms throughout when Tsukki keeps their shoulders pressed together, as if the warmth from the point of contact spreads through him.

“And thank fuck for that.”

“Aww c’mon. You like them really.”

“They’re tiring, and sometimes sticky. Why are they sticky?” Yamaguchi likes how his nose wrinkles, and he barely restrains himself from reaching out to touch and smooth it out.

“I don’t think we want to find out.” He manages to get out when he takes a beat too long to answer. Ignoring the funny look he gets, he turns his head to look out at the groups of people who’ve gathered and were sitting eating too.

He’d miss this. But he knows this isn’t the time to be thinking about it.

“I really don’t think we do.” Tsukki grimaces. “Ew.”

“Ew.” He agrees. 

“Sticky and loud.”

“You talking about the firsties or Hinata and Kageyama?” He snarks gently and Tsukki snorts, grinning at him slyly.

“Can’t believe they think you’re all sunshine and rainbows.”

“I’m only an asshole with you.” He grins, because it’s true. “And I love them. So I can tease.”

“If you say it like that it automatically groups me in with your reasoning and I don’t love them.”

“Aw you do.” He smirks, looking at him to make sure Tsukki sees it. “You just don’t like admitting it.”

“Do not.”

“Do too.”

“Do not.”

“Do too.”

“Shut up Yamaguchi.”

“Make me.” He sticks his tongue out, laughing when Tsukki just rolls his eyes and shoves him with his shoulder before settling once again. And he smiles inwardly when Tsukki presses their shoulders together again as he settles.

“Real tough guy act there.” He laughs to hide the fact that his heart is hammering in his chest before he’s distracted by the noise of the roof door opening and he spots a familiar blonde head of hair heading their way. “Yachi, right on time!”

Tsukki sighs. “Still baffling.”

-

The rest of the afternoon passes quickly. And he’s glad classes pass in a blur of withering looks and notes shared with Tsukki. It means that practise seems to come quicker than it actually does. Even if there’s not much to actually practise. He’s not exactly sure when he’d get another chance to play. He wasn’t one to try and go pro like Hinata and Kageyama, but he knows he’d miss it if he never played. Tsukki had tried to convince him that being captain meant he’d have a good chance of getting into his university's team. But he was still a pinch server, and those weren’t in high demand. Maybe he’d eventually find a neighbourhood association or a casual team once he’d settled into his studies. Shimada had been bugging him about it.

But for now, he was making do with practise. 

“Hell yes Sora!” He yells out to the second year, beaming from ear to ear as he successfully completes a jump float serve for the first time.

“I told you i’de get it before you graduated!” He yells, running over to pull him into a hug that Yamaguchi reciprocates, picking the younger boy up to twirl around because he knows it annoys him and he was nothing if a dutiful captain in teasing his team.

“You’re gonna be a great captain.” He can’t help but grin when he puts Sora down who’s grumbling and fixing his hair. “Tsukki agrees.”

“Really!” His eyes light up and Yamaguchi nods.

“He’d never say anything, but he was the one who helped me pick.” He explains.

“You’re kidding?” His eyes are wide as they dark to the vice captain. Tsukki said he wasn’t, and he didn’t think he was. But the first thing Yamaguchi had done as captain was make sure Tsukki being vice captain was put down into his records.

“Nope.”

“SALTYSHIMA!” The nickname from Hinata had stuck with the younger years too and it showed how much Tsukki did actually care about the team that he didn’t rip any of them apart for calling him that. Although that might change as Yamaguchi watches Sora charge over to the much taller teen, throwing his arms around Tsukki’s waist. Holding on tightly as Tsukki tried to push him away.

“GET OFF!” He yelps, actually yelps, and Yamaguchi has to bend over, he’s laughing so hard. “YAMAGUCHI I’M GOING TO KILL YOU THIS IS YOUR FAULT!”

“Sorry Tsukki!” He calls through gasped breaths. Waving off one of the first years' help as he tries to get his laughing under control. “I’m fine.” He gasps, taking a few deep breaths to get himself under control.

Which is all for nothing when he straightens up and sees Tsukki yelling with Hinata on his back and Sora still attached to his waist. Both clinging and cooing at him, and despite how hard his laughter starts up again, he knows he has to go over and help.

“Alright guys, leave the climbing frame alone.” He giggles when he goes over, untangling Sora’s hands from where they were gripped in Tsukki’s shirt to gently push him away before poking Hinata in the side sharply so that his grip loosens and Tsukki can push him off.

“Took you long enough traitor.” Tsukki hisses and Yamaguchi just grins.

“You were fine.”

“Alright come on.” Coach Ukai eventually calls, although they all heard him laughing too. “Or do I have to make examples out of you captain and vice captain?” Yamaguchi looks over to his smirk and shakes his head.

“No Coach.”

“That’s what I thought.” He crosses his arms. “Let’s go over receives again.”

“Yes coach!” They all chorus, and Yamaguchi practises with a smile he’s unable to wipe from his face.

-

His giddy happiness is almost completely crushed once they all come out of the club room after getting changed. Hinata had led the charge with Kageyama at his side to Coach Ukai’s shop to get meat buns given it was his turn to buy them for the team, and Tsukki had grabbed Yamaguchi’s arm to hold him back. Not wanting to inevitably be in the center of the chaos and as usual, Yamaguchi had just smiled and sat down as Tsukki took his time changing so they had an excuse.

But that meant that after they’d locked up, they were alone. And therefore, easier to approach. Which was exactly what was happening.

There was a short girl waiting by the stairs, waiting nervously as he played with her long brown hair. Twirling it around her finger before tugging it and repeating the motion. He vaguely recognises her as one of the girls who had come up to him to ask about Tsukki and his stomach drops as he realises what’s happening.

“Uhm, Tsukishima-kun. Could I talk to you for a second?” She asks, voice scared but sweet and Yamaguchi is already starting to back away. Ready to run as soon as he got the school gates so he wouldn’t have to witness this.

But Tsukki stops him with a look, and for once, he can’t tell what his best friend is thinking.

“Wait for me?” Tsukki asks, head tilting as he flicks his eyes to the waiting girl and Yamaguchi’s stomach twists. He doesn’t know why Tsukki would want to keep him around for this, because it’s not to witness it. Even if it was, he’d go a little ways away out of sight so as not to see it.

Would it be to brag afterwards? He wasn’t one for bragging over stuff like this, but maybe this time he’d finally say yes to the confession. Maybe he’d want to talk about it.

“Sure.” He nods. Gesturing vaguely towards the gym. “I’ll go practise for a bit till we have to go.” He hates how his voice shakes a little.

Tsukki just nods, something heavy flitting across his features that Yamaguchi can’t place no matter how desperately he wants to. And then he’s turning, and Yamaguchi does too, walking as quickly as he can to get away from the scene.

With graduation looming, the amount of confessions Tsukki had gotten had increased a fair bit. He had always been popular. He was handsome, and he got good grades. Even with his icy attitude, to most it apparently came across as mysterious until you actually spoke to him.

And so far, including the confessions made before graduation, Tsukki hadn’t accepted any of them.

Maybe he would this time though. Sighing to himself, he heads towards the gym. He’d forgotten they’d locked up and he groans at his own absentmindedness as he resigns himself to sitting on the gym steps to wait. He gets his phone out, needing something to distract him given there was nobody else around. He really wishes he’d made the team wait. Or made Tsukki hurry up so they could go to the shop with them. So he wouldn’t be sitting on his own in the cold. Waiting with his heart in his throat.

But it’s just him. Sitting and waiting. The phone does no good, not really. His mind can’t stop going over how Tsukki had looked at him before he’d left. It wasn’t an expression he was used to, and that gets his back up given he thought he knew all of Tsukki’s expressions.

But maybe he didn’t. Or he wouldn’t from here on out. Maybe this was the start of them drifting apart.

“Yamaguchi.” He’s drawn out of his beginning panic by Tsukki’s hand on his shoulder hauling him up. “Hey, you okay?”

“Oh, yeah sorry.” Shaking his head, he tries his best to smile and get his tone back under control as he stands. But obviously, it doesn’t work. Because all his friend does is look at him with a sigh.

“I rejected her.”

“Oh, uh. Why this time?” He’d never asked, he always just accepted the ‘I rejected her’ at face value. But the panic was still lingering, and he’s having a hard time swallowing it down.

There’s an apology on his lips when Tsukki sighs again, taking a small step back. And he goes to, open mouthed and everything until Tsukki cuts him off.

“I didn’t want to wait until graduation. I don’t like cliches like that.” Tsukki huffs. Crossing his arms before quickly uncrossing them in a nervous motion that confuses Yamaguchi briefly, what did this have to with the girl confessing? “But I know you do. So this is the compromise.” He reaches into his jacket, pulling something that sounds like paper out of his inner pocket before he’s holding it over.

It’s a simple white envelope, and Yamaguchi stares at it as he catches sight of his name written on the front in Tsukki’s chicken scratch.

“Tadashi Yamaugchi.” Tsukki says when Yamaguchi takes the letter with trembling hands, clutching it tight to his chest as his brain starts to catch up with him and his legs start to shake. “I like you. Will you please go out with me.”

Yamaguchi doesn’t know what to say as his head whirls.

“I-” He swallows. Unable to look up at Tsukki because he knows he’ll burst into overwhelmed tears. “I thought i’de be waiting forever and never hear that.”

“What?”

“I was happy to wait, forever. I didn’t think…” He trails off.

“Yamaguchi.” His voice is the softest he’s ever heard it. “Yams, look at me.”

Yamaguchi tilts his head up, eyes searching out golden brown ones and his breath catches when he finds them. Tsukki’s looking at him with a mixture of fondness and concern and he’s surprised to find how familiar he is with the look.

“Tsukishima?” The blonde’s actual name drips from his lips with his own shock and Tsukki seems to startle, blinking harshly.

“You haven’t called me that in years.”

“I’m just, just surprised. Is all.”

“I was hoping it would be a good surprise?”

“It is!” He’s quick to assure, unable to look away from Tsukki’s face and he’s surprised to see the blush that tinges his cheeks. “I uh, I like you too. A lot.” He clutches the letter to his chest, smiling when Tsukki breaks out into his own smile, one that looks full of relief. As if he didn’t have any idea how gone Yamaguchi was for him. As if he’d thought there was a possibility Yamaguchi would reject him.

“Don’t read that in front of me, it’s embarrassing.” He mutters, gesturing to the letter. “For me, I mean. I uh, there’s a lot in there.”

“Yeah?” Yamaguchi tilts his head, grinning as he watches Tsukki’s blush deepen.

“Yeah.”

“Well i’ll read it later then.” He carefully puts it into his bag. “But i’ll probably come to yours afterwards to be sappy at you.”

“You’re always sappy at me.” Tsukki rolls his eyes and Yamaguchi laughs, loud and bright.

“You let me.”

“‘Course I let you.” They grin at each other helplessly, and Yamaguchi can’t help but want to kiss him, kiss the soft smile on his lips and trace the blush under his skin. Out of habit, he pulls back. Needing to ‘wait’. Until he realises he doesn’t have to anymore.

“Will you let me kiss you then?” He tilts his head, unable to stop his grin spreading even further when Tsukki’s blush travels down his neck and he nods.

Carefully, he steps forward and goes onto his tiptoes although he doesn’t exactly need to before he’s pressing his lips shyly onto Tsukki’s. They’re dry and chapped but it’s nice and sweet despite the awkwardness of it.

“You don’t have to wait anymore Yams.” Tsukki breathes, eyes closed and Yamaguchi leans back in because he can.

It’s deeper this time and still awkward because it’s them and neither have experience. But then Tsukki puts his arms around Yamaguchi’s waist and Yamaguchi falls into it, wrapping his own around Tsukki’s shoulders as he sighs into the contact, mouth opening a little wider as he tries to lick into the others mouth.

When they both pull back, they’re smiling and a little out of breath, foreheads resting against one anothers. “Let’s go home.” Tsukki says eventually when his voice evens out. And they take a minute to untangle and try and calm their blushes down.

“Come on then.” Bold in the face of Tsukki’s confession he holds his hand out and Tsukki links their pinkies together with a small smile before they start the usual walk home.

He wasn’t sure where they were going to go from here. They were still growing, things were still happening. Graduation and university was looming over them. But all of that was talk for later. For now, it was just nice knowing he didn’t have to wait any longer.


End file.
